Route indicator



s. ZETTERBAUM ROUTE INDICATOR Filed A1192. 21 1922 wrmsssss; A-rronNl-:Y

Patented ct. 243, '1923.

UNITED lSTATES 'v 1,411,439 PATENT OFFICE.

sor. zm'rEnBAUM, or .NEW Yoan, N. y1r.

ROUTE ,INDICATOR l Application led August 21, 1922. Serial No. 583,347.

To all whom it, may concern:

Be 'it known that I, SOL ZErrERAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of'New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Route Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to route indicating devices and has for an object the provision ofa device which may be attached to an automobile or other vehicle and connected to the usual speedometer or to the driving mechanism or wheels of the automobile and automatically operated to indica-te the direction of travel along a given route.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which includes a perforated tape for controlling the operation of the indicating'mechanism, which tape is designed to be inserted in position at the beginning of a trip, so that the route of travel will be accurately pointed out.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the-appended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a route indicating device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is a similar view at right angles to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the wiring of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the reference charater 10 indicates a casing which is open at its front and which is normally closed by a hinged door 11, the. latter being provided with transparent covered openings 12, which are shown in the form of op ositely disposed arrows. The door is furt er provided with a sight opening 13, the purpose of which will presently appear. The opening 13 is also transparent covered and for this purpose the door is provided with a glass panel 14 which extends over this openlng and over the openings 12.

Located within the casing 10 behind the openings 12 are separate compartments 15 and 16 which contain electric lamps 17 and means of a spring 18 respectively. These lamps are capable of being independently lighted so as to illuminate the o enings l2 and the latter are lin the form o arrows. t

For the purpose of illuminating these arrows, there is provided a tape 19 which is adapted. to be unwound from a spool 20, the` latterv beingremovably mounted in bearings 21 and 22, for which purpose the'last named bearing is of a yieldable-type.

The tape 19 is graduated, being preferably raduated into tenths of a mile, as shown in igure 3 of the drawings andthis tape is designed to be driven at a rate of speed which will approximate one-eighth of an inch of thevtape, for one-tenth of a mile (more or less). For the purpose of operating the tape there is provided a worm gear 23 which is mounted upon a shaft 24 and this gear is ldriven by a worm 25 which is carried by the inner end of a shaft 26. This shaft extends beyond the casing 10 and is ofa flexible type as shown at 27 and is designed to Vbe operatively connected either to a speedometer, a wheel of the automobile, or to a suitable part of the driving mechanism, such as the transmission mechanism o r the drive shaft of the vehicle. Thetape passes between feed rollers 28 and 29, the former vbeing mounted upon the shaft 24, while the latter 1s yieldlngly mounted, being carried by spring arms 30 which extend from the outer walls of the compartments 15 and 16, the said compartments being formed in al casing 31 located within the casing 10. The roller 29 may thus be forced away from the roller 28 a sufficient distance to permit of the easy insertion of the tape 19 therebetween. n addition, the spring mounting of the roller 29 acts to maintain proper tension upon the tape for the proper feeding of the' latter. The tape' 19 is tensioned to prevent a too rapid unwinding from the spool 20 by arm 32, which extends upwardly from the bottom of the casing 10 n and engages one flange of the spool.

The tape passes over guide bars 33 and 34, the last mentioned bar forming a contact member which is included in circuit with a battery orI other source of current B and is connected thereto by means of a conductorl 35. A switch 36 is included in this conductor so as to open and close the circuit as geg latter are mounted upon the door 11 `and moved'outwardly when the door is open to facilitate the insertion of the tape 19. 'llhe contact 37 is connected by a conductor 39 with the lamp 17 and the latter is connected by a conductor 40 with a bell or other audisi nal 41 and the latter is in turn connecte by means of a conductor 42 to the battery B. The contact 38iis connected by a conductor 43 to the lamp 18 and this lamp is tapped on to the conductor by means of a conductor 44. p l

The tape 19 which travels between the conductor 34 and the conductors 37 and 38, separates these conductors and prevents a circuit :trom being closed through either of the lamps 17 or 18, so that the signals 12 are normally inactive. rllhe tape however is provided with perforations 45, which are arranged at intervals and which permit the s ring contact members 37 and 38 to engage tlie contact 34 and close a circuit through either the lamp 17 or 18, the particular circuit closed depending upon the position of the perforation 45. As before stated, the tape 19 is graduated into divisions of miles and fractions thereof and the perforations are arranged at'proper intervals along these graduations, their positions depending upon the route represented by the particular tape used. For example, if a trip between two points is contemplated, a tape covering the route between these two points is inserted in the casing and is arranged to begin operaw tion from a predetermined point of starting. llhile the automobile is traveling, the tape will be unwound and the driver will understand that he is to travel in a substantiall straight direction until either the lamp l or 18 is illuminated. rllhis will occur at the irst point of turning, an opening 45 being so located in the tape as to permit contact between one of the spring contacts and the contact 34 so as to close a circuit through the proper lamp to indicate either a right or left hand turn. rll`his operation will be repeated at the next turn, so that the driver of theJ automobile will be automatically directed at each turning point in the route of travel. When a circuit is closed through the lamp 17, the current will travel from the battery through the conductor 35, the switch 36, the Contact 34, the contact 37 which is navraag i passed through an opening 45 in the ta e 19, the conductor 42 back to the battery. hen

la circuit is closed throu h the lamp 18, the

also e used to indicate dangerous points alon a highway, such as a railroad cross,- ing, ridge, sharp curve, washout or other point, by perforating the tape at these points so as to permit the contacts to engage to close the circuit. The tape may therefore be perforated to indicate the smallest fractions of a mile.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its' -form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserredl to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention what is claimed is A route indicating mechanism embodying a casing, separate open front lamp compartments therein, an electric lamp in each cornpartment, a, door hingedly secured to the casing and having a transparent covered opening over each lamp compartment to provide separate signalling devices when the compartments are illuminated, a normally open circuit for each of the lamps, a source of current, a rigid Contact member included in said circuits, a door carried separate springcontact member included in each circuit and adapted to engage the rigid contact member, a tape movable between the spring and rigid contact members to maintain the circuits in normally open position, said tape having perforations at predetermined points to permit the circuits to be independently closed and means whereby the tape may be moved at a speed proportionate to the speed of the autombile.

lln testimony whereof ll affix my signature.

SUL ZETTERBAUl/l.

Utl 

